Overhead carrier and track for same.



No. 778,997. A PATENTED NOV. 1, 1904.

V H. 0. SMITH.

OVERHEAD CARRIER AND TRACK FOR SAME;

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

UNrrEn STATES Patented November 1, 1904.

PATENT Fries.

OVERHEAD CARRIER AND TRACK FOR SAME,-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,997, dated November 1, 1904. Application filed pril 22, 1904. Serial No. 204Al4. (No model.)

To all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overhead Carriers and Tracks for Same, of which the following is aspecilication.

My invention relates to overhead tracks and carriers cooperating therewith such as are commonly employed in stores and warehouses for the transportation of merchandise and to support the upper ends of ladders which are slidable along the walls of the building and serve drawers or shelves located in the latter.

The general object of the invention is to pro vide a simple, inexpensive, strong and easily; manipulated device of this character which shall be capable of operation with a minimum 'of noise and effort; and the invention resides,

primarily, in a novel form and construction of track and ceiling-support therefor and, in combination with sa1d track and support, of a trolley or carrier cooperating therewith and adapted to serve as a medium for the transportation of merchandise over said track for the support of a ladder mounted therebeneath or for any other uses and offices in which it may be found available.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the invention in its preferred form, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved overhead track and supporting means therefor with a trolley or carrier mounted on said track and supporting the upper end of a sliding ladder. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the track and one of-its ceiling-supports partially broken away and in section. Fig.

3 is a side elevational view, partly in section,

on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, of the ceiling-bracket and one rail of the track supported thereby. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the track, showing the ceiling-bracket supporting the same in elevation; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the ceilingbracket separated from the track. I

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates each of a pair of rails disposed parallel with each other and together constituting a track on which travels a trolley or carrier, (designated as an entirety by 11.) The rails 10 are formed hollow or tubular, being in practice pressed into such form by a suitable swaging-machine, and they are provided on their inner or adjacent opposite sides with longitudinal slots 12, which preferably extend the entire length thereof to provide for the insertion therein of theimmediate supporting members of a series of brackets 18, by which the track is suspended from the ceiling. Each of these brackets, as best shown in the detail views, Figs. 2, 3, 4i, and 5, is composed, substantially, of an intermediate webbed body 13, having an upper flat bar or plate 13 adapted to be bolted at its opposite ends to the ceiling byimeans of slotted lugs 13 and having at its lower end a pair of laterally-extending arms 13, preferably constituting a single integral horizontal bar, as shown, and terminating in short cylinders 13 which are adapted to interiorly telescope and support the rails 10, said arms passing through the slots 12 on the inner sides of the rails.

' branches 14, the upper ends of which lie outside of the parallel track-rails 1O andtermimate in hooded journals 15, provided with grooved wheels or rollers 16, engaging the track-rails 10. A ladder 17 is herein shown as attached to and supported from the carrier 11, although it is to be understood that the particular service performed by the carrier and its track is immaterial to the present invention.

By reason of the above-described construction the track combines a desirable degree of lightness and strength and is very rigidly and securely held by the supporting-brackets, which at the same time serve to effect and maintain the correct spacing of the trackrails. practically frictionless manner without any interference from the traelt-sup 'iorts and is practically noiseless in its operation.

The parts are few and simple and easily and economically constructed and assembled and when united are secure against accidental separation, it being impossible for the trolley to run off the track laterally or for the track-rails to become disengaged from their supporting-brackets.

I claim-- 1. The combination With a pair of hollow traelerails provided with longitudinal openings formed through their sides, of track-supporting brackets adapted to be secured to the ceiling and having laterally-extending arms passed through the openings of the rails and terminating in internal supports for the latter, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a pair of hollow track-rails provided with longitudinal openings on their inner sides, of track-supporting The trolley moves over the track in a brackets adapted to be secured to the ceiling and at their lower ends having laterally-extending arms passing through the openings of the rails and terminating in internal supports for the latter, and a carrier suspended from and traveling on said track, substantially as described.

The combination with a pair of hollow track-rails provided with longitudinal slots on their inner sides, of track-supporting brackets adapted to be secured to the ceiling and having laterally extending arms passed through the slots of the rails and terminating in internal supports for the latter, and a carrier having upwardly-extending arms lying outside of the track-railsand terminating'in rollers running on said track, substantially as described.

HENRY C. SMITH.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. Pom), FREDERICK C. (jooDWIN. 

